The tasks of collecting, accessing, tracking and reporting student data, so as to provide educators, counselors, and parents and the students themselves—with an up-to-date picture of students' status, problems, progress, and recommendations present difficulties that have typically been addressed with a variety of computerized database systems. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2002/0178038 and 2004/0110119, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,351. Such systems tend to be specialized for particular student needs (e.g., special education students), for particular stakeholders in the education process (e.g., school administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, third-party service providers and students), or for particular aspects of the student experience (e.g., academic or social). Issues of confidentiality, privacy, professional standards, and state and federal statutes aimed at protecting privacy, have put much of the data out of the sight of stakeholders other than those for whom each database system was initially designed. There are also multiple systems focused on discrete aspects of student life such as academic, social, and behavioral. This results in a considerable amount of redundant data collection. Inconsistencies between such databases are not readily detectable, and information important to a stakeholder who is nominally permitted access to it may be unavailable by reason of being in an inaccessible database. Similarly, synergies and interdependencies between such databases and data are also not readily detectable.
Students' individual needs or gifts may qualify particular students for particular programs, based on qualification criteria typically designated by a state board of education. Similarly, students' experience and interests outside of the relevant academic standards, e.g., extra-curricular activities or experiences at home, may qualify particular students for particular programs. Periodic evaluations and assessments of students' skills, needs and progress are typically part of such programs. Approvals and permissions of teachers, parents, and/or guardians are typically required. Analyzing and assimilating the non-academic aspects along with the academic aspects of students' life so as to make appropriate recommendations and interventions is also required. Moreover, gathering all of the required information, making it available to all of the involved parties, and tracking the status of in-process permissions can be a convoluted and time-consuming enterprise, particularly for teachers and administrators who must carry out these tasks for large numbers of students.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a single, centralized system containing all information relevant to students' education and holistic development academic as well as non-academic which can be accessed by all stakeholders. There is a need for a system that makes available to stakeholders all of the information which they are entitled to access or are permitted to access, within the bounds of the pertinent standards and regulations for student and family privacy and confidentiality.